ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The interior ministry has informed the higher authorities that it cannot immediately "add another page" to include the religion column in the newly-introduced machine readable passports (MRPs).

Officials told Dawn here on Monday that the ministry had received a detailed briefing from the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) just before Eid on the basis of which the higher authorities were told that without adding another page in the passport and importing new software, it would be difficult to resolve the issue.

"Unless you add another page or delete any existing page in the passport, it is not possible to oblige the ruling PML or religious leaders over the issue," a source said.

He said all the information relating to name, father's name, mark of identification, etc., would be difficult to manage in six pages and that adding another page required considerable time and a lot of money. "Each CD of the existing software cost over Rs2.7 million and importing software would cost a lot of money," the source added.